5 Responses to Yoga Anatomy: Your illustrated guide to postures, movements, and breathing techniques

1. 

   Stephanie on April 13, 2010 at 3:46 pm

   Review by Stephanie for Yoga Anatomy: Your illustrated guide to postures, movements, and breathing techniques
   Rating:
   Yoga Anatomy is a book that gives the reader a look inside the human body as it is put in various yoga positions.

   Chapter 1 covers the dynamics of breathing and actually covers some breathing physiology as well. Chapter 2 talks about the spine and gives some pretty detailed spinal information. Chapter 3 is short and covers the asanas.

   The rest of the book, Chapters 4 through 9, make up the “meat” of the book and contains most of the anatomy information most readers probably bought the book for- what muscles are used in what poses. The way the book gives you the information is quite handy- it has a section on standing poses, sitting poses, kneeling poses, on-your-stomach poses, on-your-back poses, and arm supported poses. Sooo, all you have to do is pick a position/pose, and there you’ll find pictures of what muscles are involved (and let me say, they show you some great angles of the poses to make sure the reader can see ALL the muscles that are involved). In addition to learing what muscles are involved, the book also tells you what joint actions are involved, as well as what body parts are working AND which ones are lengthening- neat!

   A great reference book, its simply perfect for the yoga enthusiast that has become acquainted over time with muscles they never knew they had- but will now after reading this book! Also recommend The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution if plantar fasciitis pain keeps you from doing your yoga.
2. 

   Laura Kai on April 13, 2010 at 4:29 pm

   Review by Laura Kai for Yoga Anatomy: Your illustrated guide to postures, movements, and breathing techniques
   Rating:
   This new book is one of very few available on the specific subject of yoga and anatomy.

   The nice thing about this book is its accessibility – it has pictures of a range of poses in the style shown on the book cover, illustrating the muscular-skeletal system in the asana and highlighting the muscles being utilised (some postures shown from several angles). In some illustrations, the internal organs are also shown.

   This helps you to relate anatomical and physiological knowledge to the actual asanas of yoga. The book also includes notes on breathing and the action of the joints in each posture.

   Not as in-depth as the Coulter book, but at a good 400 pages shorter, that is to be expected. What this book offers instead is a more visual, illustrated approach and a great reference tool for serious students and teachers.
3. 

   Tami Brady on April 13, 2010 at 5:13 pm

   Review by Tami Brady for Yoga Anatomy: Your illustrated guide to postures, movements, and breathing techniques
   Rating:
   I guess I’m one of those people that likes to understand the how and why of everything I do. Therefore, whenever I workout, I find myself wondering about the purpose of each particular exercise. Am I actually working, strengthen, or stretching my muscles in a way that is beneficial to my body or am I just wasting my time? Am I doing the exercises correctly or am I setting myself up for an injury? Perhaps that’s why I love the Anatomy series from Human Kinetics. They have a number of different books that take a deeper look at Stretch Training, Stretching, and Yoga exercises.

   Yoga Anatomy has full coloured pictures of the body for a wide variety of movements: breathing, standing poses, sitting poses, kneeling poses, supine poses, prone poses, and arm support poses. These pictures show which muscles are in use during a particular motion. Extra information is then included about which joints are involved and which muscles are lengthening and working during the process. Each entry also notes proper breathing as well as information on any challenges associated with the pose.

   In this way, there is no guess work involved. I know exactly what each posture is meant to do, which muscles I’ll be working, and how to prevent injuries. I can then take full responsibility for my health and fitness.
4. 

   M. Walkey on April 13, 2010 at 5:37 pm

   Review by M. Walkey for Yoga Anatomy: Your illustrated guide to postures, movements, and breathing techniques
   Rating:
   This book was recommended to me by a friend studying massage -the illustrations are really clear and helpful showing the muscles which are involved in different poses. Also good is the integration with breathing and the problems to watch out for. It does what ‘Anatomy of Hatha Yoga’ by H David Coulter SHOULD do for yoga anatomy – put it in pictures. A picture speaks a thousand words.
   
   I like the clear divisions of poses – sitting, standing kneeling etc. My only criticism is that it is the extreme poses which tend to be illustrated. Having come to Yoga late in life, I can hardly imagine many of them. Perhaps there could be a companion book for late starters (with Amy Matthews acknowledged as a co-author!).
5. 

   Crystal on April 13, 2010 at 6:19 pm

   Review by Crystal for Yoga Anatomy: Your illustrated guide to postures, movements, and breathing techniques
   Rating:
   This is a brilliant book for those studying yoga. It has plenty of detail which would come in handy during study.If you need help on joint movements and muscles being used during postures the this is the book you need to buy- very clear, interesting and brilliantly illustrated.